'The Liberator' - Articles (before and after Netflix release)
After debuting on Netflix at number three worldwide (and at number two in some individual countries), The Liberator has generated a lot of interest in the media, generally with a positive reaction. Here are more The Liberator related articles. Excerpts (here) have been edited for brevity, and to remove as many spoilers as possible. Some of the articles contain spoilers. Right click on article title to read full review. Collage credit: _bradleyjames.fan_
Observation Post:The story behind Netflix’s WWII series ‘The Liberator’ - 500 days of combat from Sicily to Dachau
Interview with The Liberator author, Alex Kershaw:
The series, at times heart-pounding, other times full of a profound stillness, presents timeless slices of the combat experience - fear, chaos, confusion, bravery, despair, callousness, tenderness and camaraderie.
Q: What do you think of the Netflix series?
A: It was amazing. I cried my eyes out and laughed very hard. They did a really, really fantastic job. It’s entertaining, informative and extraordinarily accurate (SNIP)
A: The show is trending really high in Italy now, where much of it took place. It’s just fantastic to think of a 15-year-old in Italy learning about what happened there and who liberated their country.
[Click for articles]
Daily Bruin: ‘The Liberator’ uses new animation technology to share World War II story (Excerpt)
led by their commander, Felix Sparks (Bradley James). (SNIP) Crowley said the animated live-action performances distinguish Trioscope from other animation techniques because it balances the graphic novel aesthetic and the emotional depth of real-life actors. He said while only about 80% of the series’ action is computer generated, all of the acting performances are perfectly preserved to ensure photorealism in the actors’ faces and movements.
To fill in the parts of filming that are not live-action, Crowley said the series’ set design contained dozens of blue screens and visual markers to help guide visual effects artists in building immense graphic-novel style animation. But lead actor, Bradley James, said these post-production guides on set posed particular challenges to his acting performance because there were no tactile markers to assist in emotional expression.
“You probably walked onto (set) ten minutes ago after you’ve gotten out of makeup,” James said. “(But) your character has probably been in a fox hole for four days and hasn’t eaten very much … you have to have a (sensory) knowledge of what that is going to feel like so you can bring that to the set.”
To foster such perceptual awareness, director and visual effects artist, Greg Jonkajtys said he showed the actors an animatic storyboard to visually describe each episode shot-by-shot. In addition to storyboards, Jonkajtys said he also used button-triggerable sound effects to emulate the auditory experience of explosions and constant gunfire during combat scenes. These sound effects helped immerse the actors into their strenuous roles as well as to synchronize and standardize their reaction times to sound.
Although the actors have to perform their roles on set without physical markers, Jonkajtys said the hyper-stylized historical account is able to achieve both diminished realism and a high level of accessibility. Thus, he said the animated final product is emotionally easier to view than the original footage of concentration camps and combat fields that “The Liberator” depicts.
Cision: Bradley James Plays Real-Life War Hero in Netflix's The Liberator (Excerpt)
Actor Bradley James, a rumored candidate for the next James Bond, has played an English king (Merlin), an Italian aristocrat (Medici), a vampire (Underworld) and the Antichrist (Damien). Now, on Nov 11th, on Veterans and Remembrance Day, fans can see him play real-life war hero Felix Sparks in Netflix's moving new limited series "The Liberator." (SNIP)
James was a fan of the script, written by show creator and EP Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive), from the start. "It was a fantastic adaptation of the compelling book, The Liberator, from author Alex Kershaw, and hard to put down." James' character, Commander Felix “Shotgun” Sparks, led the members of the 157th Infantry Battalion, an integrated group of white cowboys, Mexican-Americans and Native soldiers. (SNIP) "The Liberator characters are based on real men, many of whom did not survive the war. There was a great responsibility in playing them and we felt truly honored in doing so," says James. (SNIP) James describes the experience: "Playing an intense brotherhood of soldiers resulted in growing a special bond that isn't always a given on set."
BRADLEY JAMES is a British-American actor whose first major role cast him as young King Arthur in the global hit Merlin, which originally aired on BBC & NBC, and can now be seen on Netflix & Hulu. He has appeared in supporting roles on Showtime's Homeland, and CW's iZombie. In 2016, he beat out more than a hundred actors to earn the lead in the series remake of The Omen, entitled Damien, which aired on A&E, and now plays on Hulu. James can also be seen starring opposite Kate Beckinsale and Theo James in the popular Underworld film franchise; and as Giuliano de' Medici in Netflix's period drama Medici. (SNIP)
Looper: Why Felix from The Liberator looks so familiar
It's already proven to be a massive hit for the streaming service, cracking Netflix's Top Ten shortly after being released. The gripping true story has been rendered via rotoscoping animation for a distinct look unlike any other war movie or TV series ever made. To achieve this distinct aesthetic, the production utilized live-action performances from actors, and as such, you may find yourself thinking these "cartoons" look a little familiar.
That's certainly the case with Felix Sparks, played by Bradley James. He's had a number of high-profile roles in various television shows from fantasy adventures to CW dramas. Here's where you might have seen Felix from The Liberator.
Bradley James landed his first big break in 2008 when he was cast as Arthur on the BBC fantasy-drama Merlin. James played Arthur on all 65 episodes of Merlin, which is now available in its entirety on Netflix. After Merlin ended in 2012, James didn't waste any time getting back onto TV screens, guest starring as J.G. Edgars in the Homeland episode "The Drone Queen." It proved to be a very promising start to what would be a lucrative career in television post-Merlin for the actor.
After Homeland, James could next be seen as Lowell Tracey throughout the first season of iZombie. shortly after Liv gets comfortable kissing him, he's unceremoniously killed off. James stayed within the horror TV realm for a while after iZombie, landing the titular role on A&E's Damien. Picking up after the events of The Omen, Damien (son of Satan) realizes he's the Antichrist and must navigate the conflict between his destiny and his more human emotions. James could also be found in a similarly spooky role on the big screen, playing Varga in 2016's Underworld: Blood Wars.
Over the last few years, you might have seen him on TV shows like Bounty Hunters and Medici. However, he's really started to turn heads with his performance on Netflix's The Liberator. The AV Club's Toussaint Egan praises his performance, writing, "Bradley James is captivating as Lt. Col. Sparks." As such, don't be surprised if you start seeing Bradley James a lot more often across film and TV.
The Wam: The Liberator; the new Netflix TV series is a revelation (English Google translation from Italian)
Article wouldn't allow copying (and pasting), so screenshot is pasted below.
Observation Post:The story behind Netflix’s WWII series ‘The Liberator’ - 500 days of combat from Sicily to Dachau
Interview with The Liberator author, Alex Kershaw:
The series, at times heart-pounding, other times full of a profound stillness, presents timeless slices of the combat experience - fear, chaos, confusion, bravery, despair, callousness, tenderness and camaraderie.
Q: What do you think of the Netflix series?
A: It was amazing. I cried my eyes out and laughed very hard. They did a really, really fantastic job. It’s entertaining, informative and extraordinarily accurate (SNIP)
A: The show is trending really high in Italy now, where much of it took place. It’s just fantastic to think of a 15-year-old in Italy learning about what happened there and who liberated their country.
[Click for articles]
Daily Bruin: ‘The Liberator’ uses new animation technology to share World War II story (Excerpt)
led by their commander, Felix Sparks (Bradley James). (SNIP) Crowley said the animated live-action performances distinguish Trioscope from other animation techniques because it balances the graphic novel aesthetic and the emotional depth of real-life actors. He said while only about 80% of the series’ action is computer generated, all of the acting performances are perfectly preserved to ensure photorealism in the actors’ faces and movements.
To fill in the parts of filming that are not live-action, Crowley said the series’ set design contained dozens of blue screens and visual markers to help guide visual effects artists in building immense graphic-novel style animation. But lead actor, Bradley James, said these post-production guides on set posed particular challenges to his acting performance because there were no tactile markers to assist in emotional expression.
“You probably walked onto (set) ten minutes ago after you’ve gotten out of makeup,” James said. “(But) your character has probably been in a fox hole for four days and hasn’t eaten very much … you have to have a (sensory) knowledge of what that is going to feel like so you can bring that to the set.”
To foster such perceptual awareness, director and visual effects artist, Greg Jonkajtys said he showed the actors an animatic storyboard to visually describe each episode shot-by-shot. In addition to storyboards, Jonkajtys said he also used button-triggerable sound effects to emulate the auditory experience of explosions and constant gunfire during combat scenes. These sound effects helped immerse the actors into their strenuous roles as well as to synchronize and standardize their reaction times to sound.
Although the actors have to perform their roles on set without physical markers, Jonkajtys said the hyper-stylized historical account is able to achieve both diminished realism and a high level of accessibility. Thus, he said the animated final product is emotionally easier to view than the original footage of concentration camps and combat fields that “The Liberator” depicts.
Cision: Bradley James Plays Real-Life War Hero in Netflix's The Liberator (Excerpt)
Actor Bradley James, a rumored candidate for the next James Bond, has played an English king (Merlin), an Italian aristocrat (Medici), a vampire (Underworld) and the Antichrist (Damien). Now, on Nov 11th, on Veterans and Remembrance Day, fans can see him play real-life war hero Felix Sparks in Netflix's moving new limited series "The Liberator." (SNIP)
James was a fan of the script, written by show creator and EP Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive), from the start. "It was a fantastic adaptation of the compelling book, The Liberator, from author Alex Kershaw, and hard to put down." James' character, Commander Felix “Shotgun” Sparks, led the members of the 157th Infantry Battalion, an integrated group of white cowboys, Mexican-Americans and Native soldiers. (SNIP) "The Liberator characters are based on real men, many of whom did not survive the war. There was a great responsibility in playing them and we felt truly honored in doing so," says James. (SNIP) James describes the experience: "Playing an intense brotherhood of soldiers resulted in growing a special bond that isn't always a given on set."
BRADLEY JAMES is a British-American actor whose first major role cast him as young King Arthur in the global hit Merlin, which originally aired on BBC & NBC, and can now be seen on Netflix & Hulu. He has appeared in supporting roles on Showtime's Homeland, and CW's iZombie. In 2016, he beat out more than a hundred actors to earn the lead in the series remake of The Omen, entitled Damien, which aired on A&E, and now plays on Hulu. James can also be seen starring opposite Kate Beckinsale and Theo James in the popular Underworld film franchise; and as Giuliano de' Medici in Netflix's period drama Medici. (SNIP)
Looper: Why Felix from The Liberator looks so familiar
It's already proven to be a massive hit for the streaming service, cracking Netflix's Top Ten shortly after being released. The gripping true story has been rendered via rotoscoping animation for a distinct look unlike any other war movie or TV series ever made. To achieve this distinct aesthetic, the production utilized live-action performances from actors, and as such, you may find yourself thinking these "cartoons" look a little familiar.
That's certainly the case with Felix Sparks, played by Bradley James. He's had a number of high-profile roles in various television shows from fantasy adventures to CW dramas. Here's where you might have seen Felix from The Liberator.
Bradley James landed his first big break in 2008 when he was cast as Arthur on the BBC fantasy-drama Merlin. James played Arthur on all 65 episodes of Merlin, which is now available in its entirety on Netflix. After Merlin ended in 2012, James didn't waste any time getting back onto TV screens, guest starring as J.G. Edgars in the Homeland episode "The Drone Queen." It proved to be a very promising start to what would be a lucrative career in television post-Merlin for the actor.
After Homeland, James could next be seen as Lowell Tracey throughout the first season of iZombie. shortly after Liv gets comfortable kissing him, he's unceremoniously killed off. James stayed within the horror TV realm for a while after iZombie, landing the titular role on A&E's Damien. Picking up after the events of The Omen, Damien (son of Satan) realizes he's the Antichrist and must navigate the conflict between his destiny and his more human emotions. James could also be found in a similarly spooky role on the big screen, playing Varga in 2016's Underworld: Blood Wars.
Over the last few years, you might have seen him on TV shows like Bounty Hunters and Medici. However, he's really started to turn heads with his performance on Netflix's The Liberator. The AV Club's Toussaint Egan praises his performance, writing, "Bradley James is captivating as Lt. Col. Sparks." As such, don't be surprised if you start seeing Bradley James a lot more often across film and TV.
The Wam: The Liberator; the new Netflix TV series is a revelation (English Google translation from Italian)
Article wouldn't allow copying (and pasting), so screenshot is pasted below.